Collapsible container with durable bottom shell

ABSTRACT

A collapsible container includes a cylindrical sidewall extending between a top and a bottom of the container. The sidewall is formed of a flexible material which enables the container to be opened to an expanded configuration or closed to a collapsed configuration. A coil spring biases the container to the open configuration. The coil spring has a top coil adjacent the top of the container and a bottom coil adjacent the bottom of the container. A durable bottom layer is affixed to the bottom of the container by stitches.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/911,349, filed Jul. 23, 2001, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/909,302, filed Jul. 19, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to containers that are expandable into open configurations for placing items therein and collapsible into compact configurations for facilitating storage when empty. More specifically, the invention relates to containers including flexible sidewalls provided with springs for biasing the containers to the expanded configuration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Collapsible containers designed for use around the house, the yard and at other locations are well known. For example, collapsible containers are often used for handling yard waste such as grass clippings, weeds, leaves and cut branches. Collapsible containers are also frequently used for temporary storage of items when traveling and for more permanent storage of items around the house or garage. Such collapsible containers offer a significant advantage over rigid containers that may also be used for these purposes in that the collapsible containers can provide a large volume of store space when expanded but require only a relatively small amount of space for storage of the container itself when empty and collapsed.

[0004] Collapsible containers including fabric sidewalls and bottom walls and coil springs for biasing the containers to their expanded configurations are well known. One drawback of these containers is that the lower edges of the fabric sidewalls and the fabric bottoms tend to wear out prematurely because these containers are loaded so heavily with items that they cannot be comfortably lifted and thus are dragged along the ground. The fabric can become torn if snagged or worn through from abrasion when dragged over rough surfaces such as concrete.

[0005] Although containers having sidewalls and bottom walls made from more durable materials (e.g., metals and relatively thick plastic layers) do not suffer from such premature wear, such containers are typically not collapsible and hence they require significant storage space when empty.

[0006] Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a collapsible container that is more durable than existing collapsible containers, while being relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention facilitates the durability of collapsible containers having flexible sidewalls and coil springs for biasing the containers to the expanded configuration by affixing durable bottom shells to such containers. The durable bottom shells provides such collapsible containers with increased durability when used for tasks as described above and other tasks in which the containers may be heavily loaded. Example of such other tasks include but are not limited to the use of such containers as a portable cooler or keg holder, as a laundry storage unit or hamper, as a portable tote bag, and the like.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the invention, a collapsible container includes a cylindrical sidewall extending between a top and a bottom of the container. The sidewall is formed of a flexible material which enables the container to be opened to an expanded configuration or closed to a collapsed configuration. A coil spring biases the container to the open configuration. The coil spring has a top coil adjacent the top of the container and a bottom coil adjacent the bottom of the container. A durable bottom layer is affixed to the bottom of the container by stitching.

[0009] According to another aspect of the invention, a collapsible container can be opened to an expanded configuration and closed to a collapsed configuration. A sidewall formed of a flexible material has an upper end adjacent a top of the container and a lower end adjacent a bottom of the container. A coil spring biases the container to the expanded configuration. The coil spring has a top coil adjacent the top of the container and a bottom coil adjacent the bottom of the container. A durable bottom layer is affixed to the bottom of the container by at least one line of stitching.

[0010] According to a further aspect of the invention, a collapsible container has an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration. The container includes a cylindrical sidewall formed of a flexible material. The sidewall has an upper end adjacent a top of the container and a lower end adjacent a bottom of the container. The sidewall is collapsible and expandable along an axis extending between the top and the bottom of the container. A durable plastic layer is secured to the bottom of the container by stitches.

[0011] These and other benefits and features of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, presented in connection with the following drawings in which like reference numerals are used to identify like elements throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a spring loaded container in accordance with the present invention, the container being shown in an open configuration.

[0013]FIG. 2 is perspective view of the container of FIG. 1, the container being shown in a closed configuration.

[0014]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 1 taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

[0015]FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 3 taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

[0016]FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 2 taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 2.

[0017] FIGS. 6-10 are cross-sectional views of bottom regions of alternative embodiments of containers in accordance with the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but showing an alternative arrangement for maintaining a spring loaded container in the closed configuration.

[0019] FIGS. 12-13 are perspective views of additional embodiments of spring loaded containers in accordance with the present invention, the containers being shown in the open configuration.

[0020]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spring loaded container in accordance with the present invention, the container being shown in a, closed configuration.

[0021]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a bottom portion of the container of FIG. 14 taken along the line 15-15 in FIG. 14.

[0022]FIG. 16 is cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 14 taken along the line 16-16 in FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a container 10 is shown in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. Container 10 includes a cylindrical sidewall 12 extending between a top 14 and a bottom 16 of container 10. Sidewall 12 is formed of a flexible material 18 so that container 10 can be repeatedly opened and closed between an expanded configuration (see FIGS. 1 and 3) and a collapsed configuration (see FIGS. 2 and 4) along an axis 19 (see FIG. 3) without causing any appreciable wear or damage to container 10. Sidewall 12 includes a coil spring 20 that biases container 10 to the expanded configuration. Coil spring 20 includes a central spiral portion 22 that extends between a top coil portion 24 adjacent container top 14 and a bottom coil portion 26 adjacent container bottom 16. Coil spring 20 may be made of any suitable material such as plastic or metal, but preferably is hardened spring steel. A durable hard shell 28 (described in detail below) is secured to container bottom 16. In addition, a flexible inner layer 30 may be secured to container bottom 16 immediately above (and thus protected by) durable shell 28.

[0024] By way of example, flexible sidewall material 18 and flexible inner layer 30 may be fabricated from fabric. The term “fabric” as used herein means any material that is woven, knit, braided, or netted with any fiber, as well as non-fibrous PVC, urethane, nylon or other synthetic materials. The fabric may be porous or non-porous. The fabric can be formed from various fibers including organic fibers such as cotton, animal fibers such as wool, or synthetic or man-made fibers such as cellulose. The fabric may be one fiber or a combination of these fibers, or without fibers altogether. The primary characteristic is that the fabric material be flexible enough to permit repeated closings and openings of container 10 without causing appreciable damage to the material. One particular example of a suitable fabric is vinyl coated scrim, which is known to those skilled in the art as TARPAULINE.

[0025] As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, coil spring 20 is secured to sidewall 12 with spiral portion 22 extending along an outer surface 32 of flexible sidewall material 18. Alternatively, spiral portion 22 could be positioned to extend along an inner surface 34 of sidewall material 18. In the illustrated embodiment, spiral portion 22 is secured to sidewall material 18 by means of a thin strip of material 36 affixed to flexible sidewall material 18 with spiral portion 22 captured therebetween. As illustrated, strip material 36 is secured to sidewall material 18 by a first line of stitches 38 extending parallel to (and just above) spiral portion 22 and a second line of stitches 40 extending parallel to (and just below) spiral portion 22. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that other techniques could be used for securing strip material 36 to flexible sidewall material 18, such as adhesives, welding and the like. In addition, strip material 36 may be eliminated if coil spring 20 is directly secured to flexible sidewall material 18. For example, a plurality of loops-made of fabric, plastic, metal or some other suitable material-could be positioned at spaced locations along the length of spiral portion 22 to join sections of sidewall material 18 to spiral portion 22.

[0026] Again by way of example and not limitation, strip material 36 may be a natural occurring or synthetic fiber or a mixture of fibers as indicated above. In a preferred embodiment, strip material 36 comprises a woven fabric such as polyester or nylon.

[0027] Durable bottom shell 28 is configured to extend over and protect container bottom 16. As illustrated, bottom shell 28 generally includes a plate-like central portion 42 and an upturned outer edge 44 extending around the outer perimeter of central portion 42. Central portion 42 may include one or more drainage holes 46 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) to prevent liquid (e.g., water) from pooling in bottom shell 28. As best illustrated in FIG. 4, upturned edge 44 includes an outwardly facing surface 48 and an inwardly facing surface 50. Inwardly facing surface 50 includes an upwardly and inwardly facing ramp 52 situated above an inwardly opening annular cavity or channel 54. Annular channel 54 is dimensioned to closely receive bottom coil 26 when covered by strip material 36. Ramp 52 facilitates assembly of container 10 by providing a sloped surface (e.g., 30° from the vertical axis) configured to guide bottom coil 26 into annular channel 54. Ramp 52 may be formed as a plurality of upwardly and inwardly facing surfaces (e.g., two or four) situated about inner surface 50 of upturned edge 44 or as a single upwardly and inwardly facing surface that extends continuously around inner surface 50 except for a brief gap (not shown) to accommodate coil spring 20 as it extends upwardly from bottom coil 26 to central spiral 22.

[0028] By way of example, bottom shell 28 may comprise a durable organic material (e.g., leather), a durable plastic material (e.g., polystyrene or polypropylene) or a lightweight metal (e.g., aluminum). Plastic materials such as polystyrene and polypropylene are well suited for the present invention because of their generally good durability and relatively low cost. In addition, such plastic materials are easily molded (e.g., by injection molding or vacuum forming) into the desired shape at relatively low costs.

[0029] With the foregoing structure, bottom shell 28 can be affixed to container 10 by simply snap-fitting it over bottom coil 26 so that bottom coil 26 interlocks with annular channel 54 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Persons skilled in the art will of course recognize that many other techniques could be used for attaching bottom shell 28 to container 10, a few examples of which are described and illustrated below.

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, container 10 also includes a pair of handles 56 (see FIG. 1) and a tie down structure 58 (see FIGS. 2 and 5). Handles 56 facilitate the lifting and moving of container 10, while tie down structure 58 is used to maintain container 10 in the collapsed configuration. Handles 56 may comprise a strip of material 60 affixed to flexible sidewall material 18 by stitching 62 (see FIG. 3) adjacent container top 14. An additional handle (not shown) may be secured to sidewall material 18 near container bottom 16 to facilitate dumping. Tie down structure 58 may comprise a pair of T-straps 64 secured to container top 14 and a pair of mating flexible loops 66 secured to container bottom 16 (see FIG. 1).

[0031] With the foregoing structure, container 10 can be easily locked into the collapsed configuration by first compressing coil spring 20 and then inserting the distal end of each T-strap 64 through its mating loop 66. Once this is done, each T-strap 64 will interlock with its mating loop 66, which prevents central spiral portion 22 of spring 20 from expanding. Hence, container 10 will remain in the collapsed configuration. Container 10 can be opened to its expanded configuration by again compressing coil spring 20 and then withdrawing each T-strap 64 from engagement with its mating loop 66.

[0032] Referring now to FIGS. 11, a container 110 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. Container 110 is substantially identical to container 10 (FIGS. 1-5) described above except for the different tie down structure. For brevity, elements of container 11 0 that correspond to like elements in container 10 described above will be identified by the same reference numerals but increased by 100.

[0033] In FIG. 11, container 110 includes a tie down structure 158 that extends upwardly from upturned edge 144. Tie down structure 158 comprises a flexible hook 168 having an upwardly extending base portion 170 and an inwardly extending curved end portion 172. Flexible hook 168 may be integrally formed with upturned edge 144 or separately manufactured therefrom and then secured thereto during subsequent assembly.

[0034] With the foregoing structure, container 110 can be easily locked into the collapsed configuration by first compressing coil spring 120 and then moving curved end 172 of flexible hook 168 radially inwardly until it is directly above top coil 124 of spring 120. Once this is done, hook 168 will prevent spiral portion 122 of spring 120 from expanding, which thus maintains container 110 in the collapsed configuration. Container 110 can be opened to its expanded configuration by again compressing coil spring 120 and then moving curved end 172 of hook 168 radially outwardly until it is no longer above top coil 124 of spring 120. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that other structures and methods could be used for releasably locking the collapsible containers in their compact configurations.

[0035] Referring now to FIGS. 6-10, a number of containers 210-610 in accordance with alternative embodiments of the present invention are shown. Containers 210-610 are substantially identical to container 10 (FIGS. 1-5) described above except for the different durable bottom shells and their associated attachment means. For brevity, elements of containers 210, 310, 410, 510 and 610 that are substantially similar to like elements in container 10 described above will be identified by the same reference numerals but increased by 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600, respectively.

[0036] In FIG. 6, container 210 includes a durable bottom shell 228 affixed to container bottom 216 by an adhesive layer 268. Adhesive layer 268 extends over the entire downwardly facing surface of flexible inner bottom layer 230 as well as the downwardly facing surface of strip material 236 covering bottom coil 226.

[0037] In FIG. 7, container 310 includes a durable bottom shell 328 affixed to container bottom 316 by a plurality of horizontally extending bolts 368. Each bolt 368 extends horizontally through upturned edge 344 of bottom shell 328, strip material 336 and sidewall material 318. Each bolt 368 has a head 370 countersunk into an aperture 372 formed in upturned edge 344 and is secured in place by a nut 374.

[0038] In FIG. 8, container 410 includes a durable bottom shell 428 affixed to container bottom 416 by a plurality of vertically extending bolts 468. Each bolt 468 extends vertically through central portion 442 of bottom shell 428, flexible inner bottom layer 430, strip material 436 and the lower edge of sidewall material 418. Each bolt 468 has a head 470 countersunk into an aperture 472 formed in central portion 442 and is secured in place by a nut 474.

[0039] In FIG. 9, container-510 includes a durable bottom shell 528 affixed to container bottom 516 by a pair of stitch lines 568. Bottom shell 528 is sewn to the lower edge of flexible sidewall material 518 in place of a flexible inner bottom layer (i.e., the flexible inner bottom layer is omitted in this embodiment). To facilitate the ease of stitching, bottom shell 528 of container 510 may be thinner than bottom shell 28 of container 10 (FIGS. 1-5). For example, bottom shell 528 may have a thickness of between about 0.01 to 0.02 inches. By contrast, bottom shell 28 may have a thickness of between about 0.05 to 0.20 inches. Of course, the particular thickness of the durable bottom shell is unimportant so long as it is able to sufficiently protect the bottom of the container and thus prevent premature wear as discussed above.

[0040] In FIG. 10, container 610 includes a durable bottom shell 628 affixed to container bottom 616 by a plurality (e.g., two or four) of T-straps 664 and mating apertures 668 formed in upturned edge 644. As illustrated, each aperture 668 is elongated in the vertical direction so that each T-strap 664 can be inserted through its associated aperture 668 and then rotated 90° to interlock with outer surface 648 of upturned edge 644. Container 610 also includes a plurality of fabric loops (not shown) secured to the top of the container for matingly engaging with T-straps 664 to lock container 610 in the collapsed configuration. Thus, T-straps 664 in container 610 serve the dual purposes of securing bottom shell 628 to container bottom 616 and maintaining container 610 in the collapsed configuration.

[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 12-13, a pair of containers 710 and 810 in accordance with additional alternative embodiments of the present invention are shown. Containers 710 and 810 are substantially identical to container 10 (FIGS. 1-5) described above except for the different container top. For brevity, elements of containers 710 and 810 that are substantially similar to like elements in container 10 described above will be identified by the same reference numerals but increased by 700 and 800, respectively.

[0042] In FIG. 12, container 710 includes a cover 768 affixed to container top 714. As illustrated, cover 768 comprises an annular sheet of fabric 770 and a centrally located drawstring 772. Fabric 770 may be integrally formed with flexible sidewall material 718 or it may be a separate sheet of flexible material which is secured (e.g., by stitching) to sidewall material 718.

[0043] In FIG. 13, container 810 includes a removable cover 868 affixed to container top 814 by a zipper 870. Of course, removable cover 868 could be releasibly secured to container top by numerous other means known to those skilled in the art, such as VELCRO.

[0044] Referring now to FIGS. 14-16, a container 910 in accordance with yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown. Container 910 is substantially identical to container 10 (see FIGS. 1-5) described above except for the different durable bottom shell and its associated attachment means. For brevity, elements of container 910 that are substantially similar to like elements in container 10 described above will be identified by the same reference numerals but increased by 900.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 14, container 910 includes a durable bottom shell 928 attached to container bottom 916 by a plurality of clamps 968. Clamps 968 may be formed of any suitable material but preferably are made from the same material as bottom shell 928. Clamps 968 are positioned at equally spaced locations about the outer perimeter of plate-like central portion 942 of bottom shell 928. As shown in FIG. 15, each clamp 968 comprises an upstanding base portion 970 configured for releasable attachment to central shell portion 942 and an outwardly extending ledge 972 configured to extend closely above the upper surface of bottom coil portion 926.

[0046] Clamp 968 may be secured to central shell portion 942 by any suitable means. In FIG. 16, base portion 970 includes a pair of downwardly opening apertures 974 configured for receiving and thus mating with a pair of upwardly extending posts 976. Posts 976 may be integrally formed on—or separately formed and attached to—an upper surface 978 of central portion 942 near but spaced from inner surface 950 of upturned edge 944. A pair of bolts 980 are threadedly engaged in a pair of upwardly opening apertures 982 centrally formed in posts 976 to secure base portion 970 in place. Bolts 980 have heads 984 counter sunk in a pair of upwardly opening apertures 986 formed in an upper surface 988 of base portion 970.

[0047] When base portion 970 is secured in place as shown in FIG. 16, ledge 972 extends outwardly above bottom coil portion 926 and terminates closely adjacent inner surface 934 of sidewall material 918. With this arrangement, bottom coil 926 is securely captured between a downwardly facing curved surface 990 of ledge 972, an outwardly facing curved surface 992 of base portion 970, upper surface 980 of central portion 942, and inner surface 950 of upturned edge 944. Hence, bottom shell 928 is securely attached to container bottom 916 and can only be removed by removing bolts 980 and loosening clamps 968.

[0048] It is important to note that the above-described preferred embodiments of the spring loaded containers are illustrative only. Although only certain embodiments have been described above in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, although all the containers described above are cylindrical in shape and thus have circular cross-sections when viewed along a horizontal plane, they could have differently shaped cross-sections such as square, triangular, octagonal or any other desired shape. Accordingly, these and all other such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A collapsible container, comprising: a cylindrical sidewall formed of a flexible material, the sidewall having an upper end adjacent a top of the container and a lower end adjacent a bottom of the container; a coil spring biasing the container to an expanded configuration, the coil spring having a top coil adjacent the top of the container and a bottom coil adjacent the bottom of the container; a durable bottom layer secured to the bottom of the container by stitching.
 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the flexible sidewall material is a fabric.
 3. The container of claim 2, wherein the fabric is coated or impregnated with a plastic.
 4. The container of claim 2, wherein the fabric is vinyl coated scrim.
 5. The container of claim 1, wherein the coil spring extends around an outer surface of the flexible sidewall material.
 6. The container of claim 5, wherein the coil spring is secured to the outer surface of the flexible sidewall material by one or more strips of material sewn to the flexible sidewall material with the spring positioned between the flexible sidewall material and the one or more strips.
 7. The container of claim 8, wherein the strips of material are a woven fabric.
 8. The container of claim 1, wherein the durable bottom layer is a fabric layer which is relatively inflexible compared to the flexible sidewall material.
 9. The container of claim 1, wherein the durable bottom layer has a thickness of between about 0.01 and 0.02 inches.
 10. The container of claim 1, wherein the durable bottom layer is a plastic material.
 11. The container of claim 10, wherein the plastic material is selected from polystyrene or polypropylene.
 12. The container of claim 1, wherein the durable bottom layer includes one or more drainage holes.
 13. The container of claim 1, further including means for maintaining the container in the closed configuration.
 14. The container of claim 13, wherein the maintaining means comprises fabric loops and T-straps, or a hook.
 15. The container of claim 1, wherein the durable bottom layer has a thickness of between about 0.05 to 0.20 inches.
 16. The container of claim 1, wherein the stitches comprises at least one line of stitches that substantially circumscribes the bottom of the container at a location substantially underlying the bottom coil.
 17. The container of claim 1, wherein the bottom coil is captured between an outer surface of the flexible sidewall material and an inner surface of a bottom strip of material sewn to the flexible sidewall material, and wherein the stitching used for securing the durable bottom layer to the bottom of the container affixes the durable bottom layer to the bottom strip of material.
 18. A collapsible container having an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, comprising: a sidewall formed of a flexible material, the sidewall having an upper end adjacent a top of the container and a lower end adjacent a bottom of the container; a coil spring biasing the container to the expanded configuration, the coil spring having a top coil adjacent the top of the container and a bottom coil adjacent the bottom of the container; a durable bottom layer for protecting the bottom of the container; and at least one line of stitches for securing the durable bottom layer to the bottom of the container.
 19. The container of claim 19, wherein the durable bottom layer includes one or more drainage holes.
 20. The container of claim 19, wherein the durable bottom layer has a thickness of between about 0.01 and 0.02 inches.
 21. The container of claim 19, wherein the bottom coil is captured between an outer surface of the flexible sidewall material and an inner surface of a bottom strip of material sewn to the flexible sidewall material, and wherein the at least one line of stitches affixes the durable bottom layer to the bottom strip of material.
 22. A collapsible container having an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, comprising: a cylindrical sidewall formed of a flexible material, the sidewall having an upper end adjacent a top of the container and a lower end adjacent a bottom of the container, the sidewall being collapsible and expandable along an axis extending between the top and the bottom of the container; and a durable plastic layer secured to the bottom of the container by stitches.
 23. The container of claim 23, wherein the durable plastic layer includes one or more drainage holes.
 24. The container of claim 23, wherein the durable plastic layer has a thickness of between about 0.01 and 0.02 inches.
 25. The container of claim 23, wherein the bottom coil is captured between an outer surface of the flexible sidewall material and an inner surface of a bottom strip of material sewn to the flexible sidewall material, and wherein the stitches used for securing the durable bottom layer to the bottom of the container affixes the durable plastic layer to the bottom strip of material. 